Bleach: The Legend of Division 14th
by NothingSoSpecial
Summary: A year after the defeat of Aizen, Ichigo Kurosaki is back in Karakura Town, recovering from the wounds the battle dealt him and still unable to use most of his Soul Reaper powers. However, when he begins to have odd dreams retelling a horrible past, even worse things start happening back in Seireitei- and all because of a tragedy that happened more than 200 years ago. Please R&R!
1. The Graves

**Bleach: The Legend of Division 14****th****.**

**Summary: "(Will not follow official timeline, kind of AU) **A year after the defeat of Aizen, Ichigo Kurosaki is back in Karakura Town, recovering from the wounds the battle dealt him and still unable to use his Soul Reaper powers. However, this doesn't mean he's been cut off from the Soul Society- old friends and allies alike are monitoring his recovery, confident he'll return. However, when Ichigo begins to have dreams haunted by powerful, disturbing visions from the past, and then abruptly meets an enigmatic, lone Zanpakuto spirit in need of help; odd things begin happening in the Soul Society, thanks to an old "friend" armed with a new, great and terrible power, hell-bent on destroying them all. Will Ichigo regain his powers, with the help of friends old and new, and return to the Soul Society in time to learn the mysterious, horrifying secret surrounding the would-be "death" of Division 14th, a truth long since forgotten by all, except those special few who still remember their sacrifice, or will a darkness that destroys everything, right down to the very souls in its path, ultimately come out on top?"

**Warning:** "This will be a relatively tame fanfic, with the exception of **blood, violence, some language, and a character death or two**, so, just to be on the safe side, we'll be going with **T.** **While this is my first Bleach Fanfiction, I am not entirely new to writing fanfics. I have read most of the Manga and have watched most of the episodes- but this does not mean that I am perfect and/or know absolutely everything there is to know; I'm bound to forget or misuse something.** Please forgive me if I screw up, though; I am only human, just like the rest of you."

**Disclaimer: "I do not own Bleach. Please don't ruin my day by thinking I do."**

**Author's Note: **"I tried to be as creative as possible with my OCs, and in doing so, I may have screwed something up- like not describing the Bankai or other fighting techniques, or not using the Zanpakuto exactly right- **but again, I'm not perfect; I'm only human, so ignore all the weird and/or incorrect stuff and just enjoy the story."**

**N._.S._.S**

**Chapter One: The Graves.**

**"I**** don't know how you can stand those things."**

_Itsuki Ryuu looked up, smiling his usual too-cheerful smile, while his young Lieutenant, Nia Sakato, guiltily hid her sweet, childish face in the folds of his white, sleeveless haori. Itsuki, unfazed, just comfortingly put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, while simultaneously holding the glazed and coconut-encrusted treat out to his fellow Captain, Byakuya Kuchiki__, who only folded his arms and grimaced at him unappreciatively._

"Come now, Byakuya,"_ Itsuki said with another warm smile, _"Sit down and enjoy one with us."

"No," _the Captain replied in clear disgust, _"Those are terrible for you."

"Not quite as _terrible_ as, I dare say, being rude."

_ At that little jab, Nia giggled loudly, causing Kuchiki to glare at her, making the brown-haired little girl rush to hide her face again, much to her Captain's amusement- he only chuckled and offered the doughnut to her instead, which she immediately accepted and bit into, giving Byakuya a doughy, toothy grin._

_ The proud Head of the Kuchiki family merely gave them one last disapproving look before sauntering quietly away; quickly leaving the pair behind him as he disappeared back into Division 14__th__'s quarter-house._

"He isn't gonna get you in trouble, is he, Itsu?"_ Nia asked, though large mouthful of bread._

_ The crimson-eyed Captain merely shook his head. _"Of course not, Nia."

"Good,"_ the little girl replied, crossly, _"'Cause that would be really mean!"

_ Itsuki just took another coconut doughnut out of the paper bag between him and the girl, and shook his head. His dark, glistening crimson eyes stared up through the branches of the tree they were sitting under, at the endless, bright azure sky, and as he took a bite of the warm, freshly-baked bread, he couldn't help but keep grinning._

_ All was well._

_ If only for the moment._

**N._.S._.S**

**T****hose two graves were lonely, as always.**

Head-Captain Genryūsai Yamamoto leisurely strode through the tall grass leading to an old house at the edge of Seireitei; eyes peacefully closed and scarred old face composed and neat, showing no real emotion as he strode through the silently rotting building, imagining the compulsively cluttered house as it once was.

As he stepped onto the back deck, he stopped and lingered at the edge of the old, squeaky stairs and stared quietly, almost thoughtfully, out into the large, unkempt field that had been long since abandoned.

This dying place once belonged to Division 14th, which collapsed after the sudden, twin deaths (murders, in quieter opinions) of its Captain and Lieutenant.

Now, all that remained of those two young, spirited souls was this.

The graves, ruined and battered over time, stood side-by-side, as the 14th Captain and Lieutenant always had in life; under the gargantuan, long-since dead tree that Ryuu had always refused to remove, even after Yamamoto politely asked him to several times.

That was typical of Captain Itsuki Ryuu.

Always keeping things that ought to have been thrown away, right to the very end.

After their deaths, Yamamoto let the incident go, and allowed the tree to stand here as a monument.

To them.

And to their sacrifice.

That was what, in Yamamoto's mind, mattered the most.

"Reminiscent, Head-Captain?"

The Head-Captain maintains his ever serene, composed, close-eyed manner as he listens to the rhythmic strides of footsteps coming closer, each partnered with the slightest creak of the loose, failing wooden floorboards of the dying, rotting wooden house, with no surprise whatsoever- as if he'd expected the man's arrival.

"Captain Kuchiki," Yamamoto stated, calmly, "What brings you to this place? Have you news?"

"Yes," Byakuya promptly responded, stepping up to stand beside the old Head-Captain, staring out at the old graves with strangely dark, conflicted eyes- as if he wanted to comment on them, but did not wish to say something which would cause offense, "Kurosaki Ichigo is recovering swiftly, but has not regained his power."

"He will in time," the old man replied after a moment, "Kurosaki is able. He will return, there was never any doubt of that…" with that, Yamamoto paused again, but opened a single eye to look over at the 6th Division Captain, "Was there something else you wanted to say?"

"No," Byakuya answered, not about to be caught off guard, "It's nothing of importance."

"Well, then…" The Head Captain closes his eyes, "I come every so often to visit them," he explained, changing the subject again, this time in a more gentler voice, holding up a small, sweet-smelling paper package; causing Byakuya, who did not like sugar at all, to give it and the man holding it a vaguely disgusted look, "I'm sure those two miss their bread, and I see no reason to let them go without it, even now."

Byakuya returned his eyes to the graves, ignoring the smell of the package- it reminded him of too many things, of too many people; and of other things he simply didn't _want _to remember.

Especially the two friends that lay at rest here.

"How… _kind_ of you."

Yamamoto kept his one eye open, and he smiled a bit, using his free hand to stroke his long, white beard as he too, returned his gaze to the old graves, eye bright and glazed, as if remembering something- and seeing it; as if it were happening now, and not hundreds of years ago.

_The crimson-eyed Captain who would not throw anything away, whose personal quarters were piled with old paper bags and crumbs of his favorite food (certainly the only thing the other Captains ever saw him eating) and his famous, mischievous grin, often coupled with his feisty, brown-haired little Lieutenant perched on his shoulders…_

"They were your friends, if I recall correctly."

Byakuya didn't respond beyond casting the old Head-Captain a wry, almost dark, look.

_The two of them galloped about __Seireitei__ every single chance they ever got- much to the amusement of the more lenient Captains, such as __Ky__ō__raku__, and the pure annoyance of the proud and serious ones like Byakuya and Hitsugaya- Ryuu with crumbs in his dark olive green hair and Nia with them all over her sweet, always-smiling face._

"And you especially liked practicing with Itsuki when his Lieutenant wasn't there to bother the two of you. Nor did I see you complain once when he let you win those few times you sparred alone."

_That _one immediately garnered a response.

"He did not _let_ me win."

"Correction, when you two were alone, he let you win," Yamamoto countered, smartly, "On the other, when his little Lieutenant was around, _you _let _him_ win."

_Their duels drew crowds every time- even the other Captains used to watch appreciatively as the two of them fought head-to-head, with nothing but their swords and biting wits. Often, if Itsuki won, he would hand Byakuya one of his prized doughnuts and demand he take a bite. _

"Nonsense," the head of the Kuchiki family shook his head at the sheer audacity of the remark, but his voice was quieter than usual, less cold. It was considering- a little more tranquil, as if remembering something starkly pleasant, "Itsuki Ryuu and I were allies, Head-Captain, and our strengths were almost equal to each other."

"Then remind me why you tried so hard to find his and his Lieutenant's murderers, Byakuya," Yamamoto responded, shrewdly, "Was it not because they took your friend away from you?"

_However, if Byakuya won, he would simply be pestered for the rest of the day by the irate 14__th__ Division Lieutenant, who would merely throw the fried treats he couldn't stand at him and demand a rematch before finally being hauled off by her apologetic (but still laughing) Captain before Byakuya took matters into his own hands._

"It's the law," Byakuya retorted, instantly, "That was the only reason."

_Luckily for him, though, the latter didn't happen often._

"Of course it was."

At that, Yamamoto, without another word, began slowly walking down the few steps leading to the overgrown grass, and, undaunted by the thick, rich green stalks, made his way toward the graves. Byakuya watched in almost brooding silence as the Head-Captain reached the graves, weeded the small area around them with an almost practiced skill (as if he'd done it many times before), and, after that was done, bent down and placed between the now-clean graves, the still-wrapped package of warm fried bread.

After a long moment of silence, Yamamoto slowly made his way back, meeting Byakuya at the back porch again, and the two men looked at each other in a sort of mutual, forlorn understanding- each morning the loss of two friends and allies, but neither willing just yet to admit it.

"This place will be restored," Yamamoto said, as the two men turned and began walking back through the still-cluttered, creaky house that seemingly the entire Society had forgotten about, "I see no reason why we should continue to allow such honorable sacrifices to be forgotten by others any longer. What say you?"

Byakuya inclined his head- an agreeing gesture seen by only the Head-Captain only because he could see the swift movement better than most others- and, after another moment of silence, both of them left the house, thoughts still on the two young Soul Reapers whose lives had come to such a desperate, sad end.

Behind the house, standing at the graves, still and motionless, unnoticed by even the Head-Captain himself, was a tall, translucent, ghost-like, hooded figure. Tendrils of midnight blue hair flowed freely out of the white hood that shadowed all but his mouth, which was curled into a small, graceful smile.

The blue-haired ghost slowly knelt down between the two graves, and touched the package with the tips of his fingers. The smile grew a little, to something akin to a satisfied smirk, and he stood back up, leaving the wrapped package where the Head-Captain had just placed it.

Then, without another sound, the ghost slowly turned on his heel and disappeared again, just as the first glimpses of dawn could be seen; rich warm colors of orange and yellow, piercing through the dark, starry night like a beam of holy light coming to free the land of darkness at last.

**N._.S._.S**

**A****fter leaving the Head-Captain, Byakuya headed back to Division 6****th****'s quarter-house. **Unlike that of Division 14th's half-destroyed, rotting quarter-house, Division 6th's was painstakingly neat, possibly even neater than most of the others, if only because he made sure of it more than the other Captains really cared to.

Byakuya didn't allow disorder of any type; and his subordinates were made to know that.

As he headed past the gate, though, something immediately caught his eye.

Sitting on the old bench in front of the house was a blurry, translucent figure, surrounded by an odd, almost glowing mist. His shoulders were hunched and his dark, olive green hair covered his face. For a long moment, Captain Itsuki Ryuu sat there, quietly munching on his coconut bread, the ghostly crumbs and pieces of it falling and disappearing into the grass. He looked up, however, and he grinned as his bright crimson eyes lit up, when he saw a ghostly version of Byakuya himself exit the quarter-house to stand on the porch, glaring out at him.

_What do you want here? _

The voices were clear as water- ever word, perfect, as if they were there again.

_We're leaving on orders this morning, Nia and I. _Itsuki answered, turning his head to look over at him.

_And? _Byakuya answered, a little more coldly than necessary.

Another typical, too-cheerful smile. _I just wanted to let you know, and say 'see ya.'_

At that moment, the similarly ghostly figure of Nia, as small and childlike as usual, ran through the open gate, tottered quickly over to them, and, after deftly grabbing the remains of her Captain's bread he offered her, the Lieutenant gave Byakuya a big, greeting smile of her own.

_Hello, Captain Kuchiki! _Then, to Itsuki,_ Come on, Itsu! We gotta go!_

'_Itsu?' _

That time, his voice was _meant_ to be cold.

As he stood up, the Division 14th Captain merely shrugged and, as he ran his fingers through his dark, olive green hair, he gave Byakuya a rather embarrassed smile and a shrug as his Lieutenant, just barely half his size, began pulling him impatiently by his other hand toward the gate.

_See you around, Captain Kuchiki! _Itsuki called over his shoulder.

… _Captain Ryuu._

Just as they were going through the gate, Itsuki suddenly, swiftly turned around and threw a white, paper bag at Byakuya- who was still standing on the porch, watching them leave- which the 6th Captain deftly caught…

Only to find it contained a single glazed-coconut doughnut.

Itsuki cheerfully waved back as Byakuya gave him one last withering, annoyed look.

He and his Lieutenant disappeared around the corner just as Byakuya tossed the damn thing away.

That was the last anyone saw of Captain Itsuki Ryuu and Lieutenant Nia Sakato of Division 14th alive.

Byakuya had watched the memory "ghosts," with a considering, rather bitter look in his eyes. He'd turned to watch Itsuki and his Lieutenant disappear around the corner, and to watch the version of himself throw away the last coconut bread his old friend would ever offer him-

And for the millionth time in the past hundred years, he couldn't help but wonder whether if he'd talked with them even a single moment more, they might have lived.

_It's dangerous to think that way. Poisonous, even. It wasn't your fault they died._ Senbonzakura's voice spoke in the back of his mind, quiet and polite as usual- but as concerned as always when this particular topic came up. _We both know by now that what happened to them wasn't anyone's fault but the ones who did it._

As Byakuya reached through the ghostly version of himself for the handle of the door to the housing-quarters, it slowly faded completely at his touch, right before his very eyes.

_I know._

**N._.S._.S**

**Sure hope everyone enjoyed this one! **

**And please tell me what you think! **

**XD**

**Beta'd by The Second Quincy.**

**Thanks, man!**


	2. Without Power

**Bleach: The Legend of Division 14****th****.**

**Summary: **"**(Will not follow official timeline, kind of AU)** A year after the defeat of Aizen, Ichigo Kurosaki is back in Karakura Town, recovering from the wounds the battle dealt him and still unable to use his Soul Reaper powers. However, this doesn't mean he's been cut off from the Soul Society- old friends and allies alike are monitoring his recovery, confident he'll return. However, when Ichigo begins to have dreams haunted by powerful, disturbing visions from the past, and then abruptly meets an enigmatic, lone Zanpakuto spirit in need of help; odd things begin happening in the Soul Society, thanks to an old "friend" armed with a new, great and terrible power, hell-bent on destroying them all. Will Ichigo regain his powers, with the help of friends old and new, and return to the Soul Society in time to learn the mysterious, horrifying secret surrounding the would-be "death" of Division 14th, a truth long since forgotten by all, except those special few who still remember their sacrifice, or will a darkness that destroys everything, right down to the very souls in its path, ultimately come out on top?"

**Warning:** "This will be a relatively tame fanfic, with the exception of **blood, violence, some language, and a character death or two**, so, just to be on the safe side, we'll be going with **T.** **While this is my first Bleach Fanfiction, I am not entirely new to writing fanfics. I have read most of the Manga and have watched most of the episodes- but this does not mean that I am perfect and/or know absolutely everything there is to know; I'm bound to forget or misuse something.** Please forgive me if I screw up, though; I am only human, just like the rest of you."

**Disclaimer: "I do not own Bleach. Please don't ruin my day by thinking I do."**

**Author's Note: **"I tried to be as creative as possible with my OCs, and in doing so, I may have screwed something up- like not describing the Bankai or other fighting techniques, or not using the Zanpakuto exactly right- **but again, I'm not perfect; I'm only human, so ignore all the weird and/or incorrect stuff and just enjoy the story."**

**N._.S._.S **

**Chapter Two: A Year Without Power.**

**T****he last year had treated Ichigo Kurosaki well.**

_Or, sort of, at least._

_ The eighteen-year-old Substitute Soul Reaper had spent the last year "recovering" from the wounds that his duel with Aizen had dealt him (which ended up being more serious than he initially wanted to believe), and slowly regaining the powers he'd lost in return for using the Final Getsuga Tenshou to beat him._

_ Since that battle, as he had been warned, he hadn't been able to use any of his powers, right down to the point where he couldn't sense nearby spirits or even talk to them anymore, which was one of the few powers that he'd always had control over since the beginning- since before he even became a Soul Reaper._

_Even his Hollow-self and his Inner World had completely disappeared. _

_Yet, he found that the loss of all of that didn't bother him as much as the disappearance of Zanegetsu; the spirit that lived inside his Zanpakuto, did._

_He missed the stern old man that had taught him so much, helped him stay alive, and ultimately became his friend over time. _

_Trying to get through to him like he could have easily done a little over a year ago still felt like he was trying to walk through a solid brick wall._

_And calling out to one._

**N._.S._.S**

**S****ummer vacation had become one of the only things Ichigo had to look forward to since spending the past full year doing almost nothing. **Now, he could leave the house- which had become a sanctuary for him during his slow recovery- and really start focusing on regaining his powers.

Or at least try.

Best of all, though, he didn't have to go it alone, thanks to overwhelming support from his friends.

Rukia Kuchiki was traveling back and forth from Soul Society; bringing back friends with their own ideas on how to get his powers back (like Renji Abarai's not so subtle idea of beating the crap out of him), and even well-wishers like 13th Captain Ukitake, who came in and wished him well personally just days ago.

Even a few people Ichigo _never even expected_ were routinely checking on him, though they did it more secretly than the others. An example of this was how Byakuya Kuchiki, of all people, checked in last night with Urahara (the one in charge of Ichigo's recovery), and then reported to Head-Captain Yamamoto himself.

Of course, Ichigo only found out because Rukia, who had listened in; and then only because she wanted to lecture him on the fact that her adoptive brother really did "care" about what happened, even though he didn't show it outwardly.

Ichigo pulled on a plain, white t-shirt as he went downstairs, passing by his younger sister, Yuzu, in the kitchen, where she was stirring a cheerily-simmering pot. She turned around and waved as he went out the back door, and he waved back before heading out, just as his father entered the room.

"Hey! Where's _my _kiss on the cheek?"

Ichigo slammed the back door just as his father leapt for it, causing Isshin Kurosaki to crash against the door and crack it wide open, spilling him out onto the deck as Ichigo looked on.

"Knock it off, dad!" Yuzu called, from inside the kitchen and calmly stirring the pot, as if so used to her father's antics by now that she didn't have to turn around anymore.

As she spoke, Isshin tried to tackle Ichigo, who just folded his arms and aimed a good kick-

Which was all it took.

_"Ow!"_ Isshin complained, even as he quickly got back up to face the cracked door, standing it back up on its hinges with surprising ease, "You don't have to be so mean!"

"Yeah?" Ichigo countered, "And you don't have to jump me every morning, either!"

"But- but it keeps you on your guard!"

"In your dreams!"

Isshin just shot his son a cheery wave before going back into the house, shutting the door behind him.

As he jumped the fence surrounding the house, Ichigo saw the door fall back onto the ground. Snickering to himself, the teen ignored it, knowing his dad would have it fixed in no time, and started walking toward town.

By chance, as he glanced across the street, he spied something that made him stop walking.

Or rather, some_one_.

Standing across the street from his house was a tall, translucent figure. His entire body was completely motionless, and shrouded by a single long, white cloak that covered the ground at his feet. His ghostly hands were clasped together in front of him, as if he were praying, and his head was slightly bowed-

But Ichigo could tell instantly that the spirit's eyes were on _him_.

Alarms immediately began going off in Ichigo's mind as the spirit's hands fell back to his sides and slowly looked up at him fully, revealing startlingly dark gold eyes, enhanced by a golden circlet around his forehead, and deep, rich dark blue hair that fell in braids over his squared shoulders.

He was smirking.

Though he had the feeling that it was the worst possible thing he could do, especially if the spirit turned out to be some kind of enemy, Ichigo stepped forward to go across the street to see what it wanted- like he used to do with all the spirits he encountered before he lost his powers.

"_Ichigo!"_

Ichigo tore his gaze from the spirit's to turn and see Rukia Kuchiki waving at him from the corner of the street, before whirling back around to look across the street again-

Only, of course, to find that it had vanished

"What are you looking at?" Rukia asked as she reached him, purple eyes glancing across the street at the now-empty place that the spirit had been standing at.

"Nothing," Ichigo replied immediately, "Just thought I saw something."

"There's nothing there, Ichigo," Rukia answered, rather sympathetically, after glancing back across the street at the spot again, "I don't see anything." With that, she turned back to him fully and smiled, "Come on, Urahara's waiting for us at the shop and we don't want to be late."

As she turned and began walking, Ichigo followed suit-

But only after one last glance over his shoulder.

**N._.S._.S**

"**A**** brick wall?"**

Kisuke Urahara scratched his chin and stared at Ichigo thoughtfully, as if he were a lab rat to be studied, poked and prodded, "Uh-huh. But you still call for him, right? Zanegetsu, I mean?"

Or maybe just a psychologist to keep him from going crazy.

"Yeah, but not as many times as I did a few months ago," Ichigo answered, glancing back at Rukia, who was standing near the door of the small tea-room in the back of Urahara's shop, listening in on the conversation with a attentive look on her face, "But it's still the same."

Urahara nodded again, "And the rest of your powers?"

"I thought I saw a spirit across from my house today."

"Really?" The shop-keeper looked interested at that, "That's an improvement."

"But it's not good enough," Ichigo protested, "I still can't do anything."

"No," Urahara agreed, "You can't. But at least now we know for sure it's not completely hopeless."

"What's the point if I can't-?"

Urahara only puts up a hand to stop him, "We've been through this already. None of the Captains think that your powers are gone for good. In fact, all of them are cheering for you in some way or another."

"But-"

"No buts," Urahara interrupted again, standing up, "None of us are giving up, so neither should you."

**N._.S._.S**

**"I****chigo!"**

Ichigo looked around as he exited Urahara's shop. Rukia, who wanted to go back to Seireitei that afternoon for reasons she refused to tell, had already bade Ichigo a good night with the promise that she'd be back to check up on him tomorrow morning.

Orihime Inoue; Ichigo's longtime friend, backed by Uryū Ishida and Chad, ran up to him and gave him a hug, "They finally let you out!" She cheered, "It's been so long!"

This was true.

Ichigo couldn't remember much of what happened after he blacked out soon after Urahara's seal was completed, and was only told much later, when he was fully conscious again.

It turned out that his wounds, combined with the sudden, total loss of his powers, had so severely weakened his body that it would be hard to do little things, like walk and talk, let alone do anything else.

And boy, whoever found that out was right.

It took a week alone for Ichigo to stop passing out and talk properly.

Another month to walk.

And another two to eat anything that wasn't ground up first.

"We were getting worried," Orihime added, and Chad and Uryu both nodded in agreement.

"I came to check on you when you were at home a week after it all ended," Uryu said, "It was intense. Captain Unohana was there treating your wounds, and even Head-Captain Yamamoto and Byakuya were there helping and stabilizing your condition for the first month."

"Kuchiki _was_ around a lot," Chad added, "It was really weird to see him around here that much."

"Oh, but he was so much nicer, though!" Orihime insisted, but Uryu snorted derisively.

"Ignoring everyone _isn't nice_," he said, "And clearly lying about being ordered 'on watch,' isn't, either."

"I don't remember anything about him being around," Ichigo said, with some genuine surprise, as he and the other three began walking down the road.

He and Byakuya never really got along until... well, never, actually. The Captain was icy and Ichigo used to hate him for allowing Rukia to be sentenced to death way back in the beginning, and actually fought head-to-head with him several times. But, over time, especially now, that hatred melted into something along the lines of respect (at least for Ichigo, anyway), especially when it came to dealing with Aizen.

Orihime smiled, "That's 'cause you weren't really there."

"What she means is," Uryu added, "Was that you were always unconscious."

"Who else was there? Besides Yamamoto and Byakuya?"

"Everyone visited you at least once, but up until you started waking up more often, it was always Byakuya and someone else- Ukitake or Renji, mostly," Uryu answered, as they turned the corner, "There was always someone there, talking with your father or just sitting in your room."

Ichigo couldn't believe it. "Seriously?"

"You defeated Aizen, Ichigo," Orihime reminded him, "It's not like they can just forget about everything you did and abandon you now that you've lost all of your powers. They owe you."

"Like they'll ever admit it," Uryu added, dryly, and Chad actually nodded.

**N._.S._.S**

**I****chigo arrived back home a little later than usual, but to his surprise, his father wasn't there to ring him on it- it was late enough that he'd probably just gone to bed or something. **

Of course, the door was fixed already.

There was a somehow familiar, sweet smell lingering in the room; as if Yuzu had made something sweet and left it out, but Ichigo couldn't find anything but leftovers from supper in the microwave, ready to be heated up for him, like Yuzu had recently started doing for him after he first started going to see Urahara.

Not really hungry, Ichigo just put the leftovers in the fridge and headed upstairs, finding that he had been right- his father and sisters were already in bed and sleeping.

That was odd- usually they didn't go to bed until late.

The vaguely familiar sweet smell got stronger when Ichigo opened his bedroom door.

His room was small, but clean and neat. His desk was a little dusty from lack of use and the little tea-table he used to junk had recently been cleaned off, leaving nothing but a few stray pencils, his half-emptied backpack from school, and a few crumpled pieces of paper underneath.

In the corner of the room was a chair.

He wondered whether Byakuya, if the others were telling the truth, sat there.

Somehow, though perhaps not unsurprisingly, he couldn't imagine the proud Captain in that spot.

However, the only thing that made Ichigo know that someone had been in here was that his bed had been nicely made up (which was not his doing), and on top of the pillow was a white paper bag-

Again; not him.

Upon opening the white paper bag, Ichigo found that it contained a single, coconut-glazed doughnut.

For a moment, Ichigo stared blankly at it, wondering who could have put it there (one of the reasons being that the nearest doughnut shop was a mile or two away) and why, before shrugging and taking a bite.

The coconut-encrusted doughnut was freshly baked (despite how long Ichigo guessed it might have been sitting there), and tasted delicious.

After finishing the fried treat, Ichigo threw the paper bag away, brushed his teeth, and changed into his night-clothes before turning off the lights and jumping into bed.

He never noticed that the window across from his bed, which he usually left closed, was wide open.

**N._.S._.S**

** T****he crimson-eyed man brushed his dark, olive-green hair out his eyes with a soft, resigned-sounding sigh. **_He's smiling, though, and looked up into the dark eyes of the brown-haired little girl sitting perched on his shoulders,_ "That man threw it away again didn't he? The doughnut?"

_The little girl pouted,_ _resting her chin on the man's head,_ "I think he did, Itsu."

_Itsu laughed._ "Ah, that man is stubborn, isn't he?"

"He just doesn't wanna admit that they're yummy!" _the little girl declared, as the crimson-eyed man kept walking, _"I bet he goes home every night and eats a whole bunch!"

"I _very_ much doubt that, Nia," _he said with a shrug,_ "Our friend just doesn't like sweets."

"Why do we give him doughnuts if he just throws them away, then?" _Nia complained,_ "It's a waste!"

"I always buy extra ones just for him," _Itsu replied, as he let Nia down from his shoulders. The little girl immediately grabs his hand and they continue walking slowly through __Seireitei__,_ "If he throws them away, then it's his choice. I can't just very well make him eat them."

"But why do you buy them for him if you know he _won't_ eat them?"

"Because he is my friend," _Itsu told her, simply,_ "And I like sharing with my friends."

"But there's no point!" _Nia countered._

"There _is_ a point, Nia," _Itsu corrected, gently,_ "Because maybe one day he _will _take a bite. And that one bite will be worth all the others I've watched him throw away over the years."

_Nia just shrugged,_ "Okay, whatever you say!"

_Itsu just shook his head and laughed._

**N._.S._.S**


	3. Happenings I

**Bleach: The Legend of Division 14th.**

**Summary: "(Will not follow official timeline, kind of AU)** A year after the defeat of Aizen, Ichigo Kurosaki is back in Karakura Town, recovering from the wounds the battle dealt him and still unable to use his Soul Reaper powers. However, this doesn't mean he's been cut off from the Soul Society- old friends and allies alike are monitoring his recovery, confident he'll return. However, when Ichigo begins to have dreams haunted by powerful, disturbing visions from the past, and then abruptly meets an enigmatic, lone Zanpakuto spirit in need of help; odd things begin happening in the Soul Society, thanks to an old "friend" armed with a new, great and terrible power, hell-bent on destroying them all. Will Ichigo regain his powers, with the help of friends old and new, and return to the Soul Society in time to learn the mysterious, horrifying secret surrounding the would-be "death" of Division 14th, a truth long since forgotten by all, except those special few who still remember their sacrifice, or will a darkness that destroys everything, right down to the very souls in its path, ultimately come out on top?"

**Warning:** "This will be a relatively tame fanfic, with the exception of **blood, violence, some language, and a character death or two**, so, just to be on the safe side, we'll be going with **T.** **While this is my first Bleach Fanfiction, I am not entirely new to writing fanfics. I have read most of the Manga and have watched most of the episodes- but this does not mean that I am perfect and/or know absolutely everything there is to know; I'm bound to forget or misuse something.** Please forgive me if I screw up, though; I am only human, just like the rest of you."

**Disclaimer: "I do not own Bleach. Please don't ruin my day by thinking I do."**

**Author's Note: **"I tried to be as creative as possible with my OCs, and in doing so, I may have screwed something up- like not describing the Bankai or other fighting techniques, or not using the Zanpakuto exactly right- **but again, I'm not perfect; I'm only human, so ignore all the weird and/or incorrect stuff and just enjoy the story."**

**N._.S._.S**

**Chapter Three: Happenings I.**

**"Friend" wasn't the word Byakuya Kuchiki would use to describe his relationship with Itsuki Ryuu.**

But nor were the words _"enemy," "annoyance,"_ or, more simply, _"nothing."_

He likened Itsuki to the way he thought of Kurosaki Ichigo now, really. He didn't hate him- at least not anymore- and missed him the way he would probably miss Kurosaki if he suddenly weren't around, and considered him an ally, but it neither of them were what he considered "friends."

He didn't have _friends_.

He had _allies_.

And in his eyes, the two words meant completely different things.

**N._.S._.S**

**"What are you doing out here alone, Byakuya?"**

13th Captain Jūshirō Ukitake's voice made Byakuya turn his head, and then simply turn back to the two newly-restored graves when he saw it was just his fellow Captain walking out to join him.

Like Yamamoto had promised it would, Itsuki and Nia's gravesite had been cleared out quickly overnight by a few dedicated workers, and turned into a more appropriate, impressive garden area.

The rundown quarter-house had entirely disappeared, and the place was now neat, the grass revived and cut, more trees and flowers had been planted in a quite beautiful arrangement center-piecing the two restored, silvery graves, which seemed to stand out brighter than anything else, under the blooming tree that Yamamoto and Byakuya had personally picked out together, showering the place with tiny salmon pink blossoms.

The entire setting was complete with two wrapped coconut doughnuts sitting at the foot of each grave-

Placed there by none other than Byakuya himself mere moments ago.

Ukitake's brown eyes narrow a bit in concern as he reached Byakuya and seemingly noticed the graves for the first time, though he doesn't look all that surprised. "So, this is where you took them," he said, quietly, looking around the area with more interest, "I always wondered."

Byakuya doesn't answer.

"I remember that day," Ukitake added, cautiously, "What we saw when we found them."

_Itsuki's arms were wrapped tightly around the small, still body of his dead Lieutenant, his normal, all-too cheerful smile replaced by an uncharacteristic, grotesque grimace, bloody tears of immeasurable agony silently streaming down deathly pale cheeks. The two of them are covered in so much blood- it was covering almost the entire field, even the leaves of the trees around them, crimson and still dipping-wet hours later…_

_Ukitake had never seen so much blood in a single place._

Still, no answer.

_Ukitake, and even Byakuya for all his strength and composure, couldn't bear to approach them._

_They just stood there until Yamamoto caught up with them._

"He was such a goofball," Ukitake said, this time a bit more cheerfully, confidently, "Messing around, purposely getting into trouble to make us all laugh, and loosing everything. He always kept so much junk in his pockets that I was always thinking that a whole other world was sitting in them, just waiting to be yanked out when he was digging around trying to find something he'd stuffed in there."

**N._.S._.S**

**"A****gh! **I know it's in here somewhere!"

_Captain Itsuki Ryuu quickly tore into his pockets, trying to find the little wrapped gift he'd just bought one of their fellow Captains for his birthday, as a rather amused-looking Ukitake watched from the other side of the quickly filling-up tea table and a laughing Kyoraku leaned against the doorframe of the housing-quarters on the other side of the room, arms folded and clearly enjoying watching the absent-minded Captain struggle._

"It's all right," _Ukitake was saying soothingly, over and over, while trying not to laugh as Itsuki pulled out odd items (such as crumpled pieces of paper, a few broken pencils and even a toy car), _"It's all right, Itsuki, I'm sure he won't mind if it's a little late. It's the thought that really-"

_Kyoraku's laughter just grew louder, and Ukitake's smile kept twitching. _

"No, I know has to be in one of these blasted pockets!"_ Itsuki answered with an embarrassed grin as he kept pulling out even odder things, which included a rabbit's foot key-chain, a rather ugly-looking doll, and a fork, and placed them, one by one, on the growing pile, _"I just bought it today!"

_Just as the door to the tea-house opened, revealing 10__th__ Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya (who just happened to be the birthday boy in question), Itsuki freaked and accidentally knocked over the table, oddball items, tea and all, causing the white-haired man to glare disapprovingly at him for the commotion and his Lieutenant, __Rangiku Matsumoto, to just laugh as Ukitake and Kyoraku tried to calm him down. _

_ Finally, though, Itsuki produced a small, wrapped package from the deepest parts of his haori, and stood up while Ukitake and Kyoraku put the table back upright. He grinned and used his free hand to straighten out his straggly hair and held out the package to Toshiro as he cautiously sat down next to him._

"Sorry, I don't know if this is the right one,"_ Itsuki apologized as Toshiro opened it, revealing his favorite dish, __watermelon and amanatt__ō__, neatly arranged despite the knocking around and beating it must have endured while its Captain searched for it in his seemingly endless pockets._

_ Toshiro stared at the gift, then at Itsuki with oddly considerate look on his face._

_ Then-_

"You know my birthday is _tomorrow,_ right?"

**N._.S._.S**

**T****hat time, he received a response.**

Byakuya gave a smirk- tiny, almost unnoticeable…

But still there.

"I think he must've gotten into more trouble for lounging about more than Kyoraku, with how many times you reported him," Ukitake continued, "How many times did you do that? It had to have been no less than ten, maybe even more than twenty. And then Nia would be so angry…"

Byakuya turned so suddenly, Ukitake jumped, startled at the abrupt movement.

The 6th Captain slowly placed a hand on his ally's shoulder, still smirking a bit, almost in a sort of "thank you" gesture that he couldn't begin to voice, before walking quietly away without a single uttered word, leaving Ukitake standing there, alone with the two graves and the two sweet-smelling doughnuts, utterly stunned.

As Byakuya disappeared, Ukitake turned back to the graves.

_Why did you have to be the one that died? You were one of us, even though we never treated you like it until it was too late, and I'm sorry for that, _He added, sadly remembering the pain that his friend and fellow Captain had been in before finally, mercifully dying in that forsaken field soaked in blood, already so far gone by the time it happened that he didn't know that the little girl he'd essentially raised was already dead, _You were so kind, so full of life and had so much potential to offer, yet you life was the first taken from us._

Lost in his rather melancholic, bitter thoughts, the white-haired 13th Captain didn't hear the footsteps coming up quietly behind him-

But he _did_ hear the all-too familiar clicking of a sword leaving its sheath.

However, by the time he turned around, already reaching for his own sword, it was too late.

Everything went black.

**N._.S._.S**

**S****hunsui Ky****ō****rak****u walked leisurely toward the place where Division 14th once stood.** He'd passed a very somber-looking Byakuya just a few moments ago, and when he'd asked whether the man had seen Ukitake, was told tonelessly that the 13th Captain was still at the renovated gravesite, waiting for him.

The Captain-Commander bade Kuchiki a good night from there and continued on his way, wondering what Ukitake was doing out here so late- it didn't bother him that Byakuya was out here, of course; the Head of the Kuchiki Family was known for his walks after dark, after all.

But it wasn't like _Ukitake_ to be out alone so late.

Of course, Kyoraku knew that his friend was strong- stronger than most of the other Captains, as he was not only one of the oldest, but had also been trained by Head-Captain Yamamoto (along with himself, of course), and while Kyoraku trusted Ukitake's abilities more than almost anyone else's, he also knew that he was prone to illness, coughing up blood and sometimes becoming feverish; and the Captain-Commander did not like to hear that he was still out when he should have been resting for the next day.

The garden that he came upon was more beautiful than he thought it would be, and Kyoraku smiled at the pleasant quietness of it, realizing why Ukitake had insisted on meeting him here, and understanding why Byakuya had chosen this place to prowl for the night. _The Head-Captain was serious when he said he'd fix this place up,_ Kyoraku thought, admiringly, _I'm sure that Itsu and Nia would have loved it if they could see it._

However, when he reached the graves, the all-too familiar, coppery smell of blood instantly stopped all positive thoughts.

"Ukitake?"

As the Captain-Commander reached the actual gravesite, he spotted Ukitake lying motionlessly on his side in the grass, a few feet in front of the grave-markers. His friend's white hair was in messy clumps, obscuring his pale face, and his normally immaculately white haori was stained through with blood, which ran uncontrollably from a large gash that ran across his friend's entire back (as if he'd been slashed at viciously from behind).

_"Ukitake!"_

Kyoraku rushed forward and immediately began to turn his friend a little so he would lie on his back, but the amount of blood that almost instantaneously transferred from Ukitake's wound onto his own hands and clothes immediately made him what he was doing and inspect it more closely.

The gash was deeper than Kyoraku had initially thought, and it was bleeding so badly he knew that it wasn't a good idea to continue to move him until it was at least bound if not closed.

Kyoraku applied as much pressure to the gaping wound as he could as he tried to figure out who to call. As he thought of someone and called them with the special communicator reserved for Captains (which had been installed after the deaths of Itsuki and Nia were proclaimed as 'preventable'), Ukitake stirred, and almost immediately, the blood flow started up again, as quickly as it had when he got there.

"Don't move," Kyoraku stated, putting on his best 'everything's going to be fine' voice and applying more pressure to the wound and placing his other hand on the top of Ukitake's head, stopping his friend's weak attempt to move as he tossed the communicator a few feet away, "Yamamoto's on his way."

From where he was kneeling, Kyoraku saw his friend's startlingly dark eyes begin to close.

"Come on, stay with me."

_"…Kyoraku?"_ Ukitake doesn't react beyond that and a few weak, odd twitches- which are more like muscle-spasms from the pain than anything, really. He just stares at the grass with strangely darker eyes than before, and doesn't reply as his best friend tried to reassure him.

"Stay with me," Kyoraku repeated, seriously, "Don't talk, and don't think too much. Just focus on keeping your eyes open until Yamamoto gets here."

Ukitake's eyes just fluttered closed again, and he coughed, so violently that Kyoraku was forced to let the wound bleed as his friend convulsed, and then reapplying pressure when the seizure was over.

Then, despite his friend's efforts, his body went still.

Too still for Kyoraku to like.

But the blood kept flowing.

_"Ukitake!"_

**N._.S._.S**

**Oh my!**

**It's a *le gasp!* cliffy!**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**

**It took a while to write! XD**

**Thanks to everyone who's Reviewed, Favorited, and Followed.**

**And even read!**

**It means a whole lot to me.**


	4. Rai Chirika

**Bleach: The Legend of Division 14th.**

**Summary: "(Will not follow official timeline, kind of AU)** A year after the defeat of Aizen, Ichigo Kurosaki is back in Karakura Town, recovering from the wounds the battle dealt him and still unable to use his Soul Reaper powers. However, this doesn't mean he's been cut off from the Soul Society- old friends and allies alike are monitoring his recovery, confident he'll return. However, when Ichigo begins to have dreams haunted by powerful, disturbing visions from the past, and then abruptly meets an enigmatic, lone Zanpakuto spirit in need of help; odd things begin happening in the Soul Society, thanks to an old "friend" armed with a new, great and terrible power, hell-bent on destroying them all. Will Ichigo regain his powers, with the help of friends old and new, and return to the Soul Society in time to learn the mysterious, horrifying secret surrounding the would-be "death" of Division 14th, a truth long since forgotten by all, except those special few who still remember their sacrifice, or will a darkness that destroys everything, right down to the very souls in its path, ultimately come out on top?"

**Warning:** "This will be a relatively tame fanfic, with the exception of **blood, violence, some language, and a character death or two**, so, just to be on the safe side, we'll be going with **T.** **While this is my first Bleach Fanfiction, I am not entirely new to writing fanfics. I have read most of the Manga and have watched most of the episodes- but this does not mean that I am perfect and/or know absolutely everything there is to know; I'm bound to forget or misuse something.** Please forgive me if I screw up, though; I am only human, just like the rest of you."

**Disclaimer: "I do not own Bleach. Please don't ruin my day by thinking I do."**

**Author's Note: **"I tried to be as creative as possible with my OCs, and in doing so, I may have screwed something up- like not describing the Bankai or other fighting techniques, or not using the Zanpakuto exactly right- **but again, I'm not perfect; I'm only human, so ignore all the weird and/or incorrect stuff and just enjoy the story."**

**N._.S._.S**

**Chapter Four: Rai Chirika. **

**T****he pain was just too much.**

_ Captain Itsuki Ryuu, still holding the trembling body of his young Lieutenant in his arms, collapsed heavily against the trunk of the large tree, sliding down it onto the grass, keeping the little girl as close to him as he possibly could, as if that alone would stop the pain he knew she was in._

"Itsu,"_ she cried, weakly, into his chest,_ "Itsu!"

_ He ran his fingers comfortingly through her tangled, dark brown hair while keeping a firm grip on the gaping, jagged wound in her back with his other hand in a feeble attempt to stop the rushing flow of crimson blood-even though he knew by now that would do little to no good for her. _

_She cried out his name again, her voice hurt and scared, and the dying Captain cursed himself for not sending her back safely to Seireitei when he had the chance._

_ Yet another of his mistakes._

"Itsu!"

_ No wonder the others never…_

No! _Itsuki forcefully shook those ugly thoughts from his head, darkening crimson eyes lighting up the tiniest bit, _Don't you dare think like that. Not now. Those are your friends!_ His grip on Nia's wound loosened, though, but the girl wrapped her arms tighter around his neck in encouraging response._

"It's going to be all right, Nia,"_ he promised her, the lie stinging him as she looked up at him, dark brown eyes still full of tears- but she gave him a nod and a trembling smile nonetheless, _"Everything's going to be fine."

"Then why are you crying?"_ She managed to giggle back, weakly._

_ Itsuki gave her his best grin; though that, too, was a lie, _"Because I'm so proud of you, Nia."

That_ was part of the truth, at least._

"We did good,"_ she said, accepting his lying smile with a real one of her own. And, as her eyes slowly, finally closed, she laid her head comfortably, against his chest and spoke again. _

"We did good, didn't we? We showed him…"

"We sure did,"_ Itsuki murmured back, as her small body grew unnaturally still._

"Itsu,"_ Nia suddenly whispered, _"I'm glad it was you."

_ Itsuki's eyes widened in shock at the statement, and he quickly looked down, right into the little girl's dying; though still glistening, deep brown eyes. _

"I'm glad it was you, too."_ He finally managed to say back, _"I... Nia…"

_Before he could think of what else to say, the Lieutenant he swore would one day wear the Captain's haori with a grin, the little girl he proclaimed as his daughter so many times and loved more than anything else…_

_… Died, right there, slipping away quietly in his arms._

_Itsuki could feel her heart stop beating, feel her breathing slowly halt, but despite knowing she was gone, despite common sense telling him that there was nothing more he could do, Itsuki Ryuu kept holding Nia Sakoto as close as he could, finally letting go of the still-bleeding wound in her back and just hugging her, as if a father's embrace alone would make everything better._

_Of course, that was impossible now._

_His own dreadful wounds remained ignored as he sat there, grasping his daughter close.  
_

_And so the blood and tears of loss fell freely._

**N._.S._.S**

**I****chigo Kurosaki jolted up, throwing his pillow across the room with the strong movement and ending up slipping over the edge and getting tangled in his bed-sheets as he struggled to process the remains of the nightmare already blurry and fluttering away from his grasp.**

However, after calming down and taking a few deep breaths, assuring himself that the dream was just that (though he wasn't so sure), Ichigo was able to get untangled and actually get up.

_What the heck was that? _He wondered, staring out the open window._ I think I've seen those two before, but…_ he shuddered as he remembered how the little girl, the one called Nia, died, and the crimson-eyed man's reaction, _what a terrible way to die._

"Ichigo?" Isshin called through the locked door, "Ichigo, are you okay? I heard a yell!"

"I-"

"That's it! I'm coming in to rescue you!"

With that, Ichigo immediately scrambled to his feet and unlocked the door, wrenching it open, just as his father charged, knocking into him and throwing them both onto the ground. Ichigo shoved him off.

"'Morning!" Isshin said, cheerily as he got up and Ichigo brushed himself off, "Oh, look!"

He bolted for the table, and picked up a white paper bag, which he opened.

"You brought doughnuts?" He said, "You'll get fat!"

"Doughnut?" Ichigo replied, shocked, "There was one last night, but I-"

"I knew it! My son's a closet fatty!"

"Shut up! I didn't do it!"

"That's what all closet fatties say!" Isshin declared, even as he unwrapped the doughnut and took a bite, leaving the room with his prize, "Oh, this is _delicious_! I haven't had one of these in years! You got good taste…"

Isshin disappeared downstairs, still wowing over the fried bread, leaving his son dumbstruck.

_Where are these things coming from?_ Ichigo wondered as he picked up the wrapper that his father had carelessly tossed onto the ground, _There was one here last night, and they're definitely the same as the ones that man in the dreams tried to get his friend to eat…_

Pushing the vivid, almost sickening thoughts of the man and the little girl away, Ichigo finally just tossed the paper wrapping into the garbage on his way out.

**N._.S._.S**

**"I****chigo!" **Uryu was waiting for him outside of the house, "Did you hear?"

Before Ichigo even crossed the yard to meet him at the fence, the Quincy kept talking. "It's all over Soul Society; and all of the Captains are on high alert. They've even pulled Rukia back in."

"What happened?" Ichigo asked as he closed the gate, "Something bad-?"

"Captain Ukitake was ambushed last night," Uryu interrupted, as they walked, "He's badly injured."

That alone made Ichigo stop walking.

_ "What?"_

"I just heard from Urahara myself," Uryu explained as he and Ichigo broke into a run, "He, Orihime and Chad are waiting for us at the shop to explain more."

"Who did it?" Ichigo demanded as they ran.

"We don't know yet!"

"How do we _not know_?"

"What part of _we just found_ _out_ don't you get?"

**N._.S._.S**

**"What do you mean _attacked_?"** Ichigo demanded, loudly, as he and Uryu entered the shop.

Kisuke Urahara jumped and put up both hands in a sort of _"please don't kill the poor messenger"_ way.

"I'm just as shocked as you are, really," the shopkeeper assured them, running his hand through his blonde hair as Ichigo folded his arms in anger, "Rukia came in early this morning and told me that her Captain had been attacked and she'd been ordered to help with the investigation."

Ichigo glared at Kisuke for another few moments, before slamming his fist onto the coffee table in frustration. The flimsy thing easily buckled and snapped cleanly in half at the force of it.

"Hey, don't do that!" Urahara tried again, "Captain Ukitake is-"

"Who did it?" Ichigo demanded.

"I'm sure we'd all like to know that," Uryu spoke up, as Chad pounded one of his fists into his palms, "All I heard this morning was that Ukitake was injured. Nothing else."

From the beginning, Ukitake had been one of the few to accept Ichigo and his group (along with Kyoraku and a few others) and even gave him the badge he needed to hunt Hollows in Karakura Town as a real Substitute Soul Reaper. Hearing that he'd been _attacked from behind in the dark_ really pissed Ichigo off; and powers or no powers, he was going to find out what happened.

"Now, really," Urahara said, as Ichigo stood back up, "We've already got Byakuya and the others working on it. There's no reason to go off attacking my poor tea table or doing anything rash here."

"Byakuya?" Ichigo looked back at him in renewed surprise.

"Yes," Urahara answered, clearly eager to get his tea-table out of the line of fire, "He's working as we speak. From what I heard from one of the scouts a few hours ago, he's already traced the weapon back to where it might have come from. He and Rukia are heading down to the Districts now."

"Seriously?" Uryu spoke up, incredulously- but impressed at the same time.

"That's amazing," Orihime added with a nod, "Byakuya will catch the person who did it in no time, then, won't he?"

Ichigo nodded a bit, thoughts on the Head of the Kuchiki clan.

"Yeah," he agreed, watching Urahara bend down to inspect the tea-table scratching his head and grumbling about something akin to having to get a new one, "Byakuya will catch him."

_Let's just hope he knows what he's doing, then._

**N._.S._.S**

**H****earing about Ukitake put Ichigo into a foul mood for the rest of the day.**

He left the shop when it became clear they wouldn't get any more answers for a while- despite Urahara trying to sit him down for tea with the others.

Ichigo sat down heavily on the bench in the city park, remembering how he and Rukia had once saved a little boy from being killed by a Hollow; and that it was here that he decided to really become a Soul Reaper- giving himself selflessly to the defense of the weak.

But now he was one of the people he'd sworn to protect.

_I'd like to see a Hollow here now,_ he thought, darkly, almost wishing it would really happen, toying with the idea that he'd magically get his powers back during the battle.

He picked up a small, rather beaten-up looking skipping rock and threw it into the playground, listening to the satisfying clang it made against the metal bars.

He hated not having his powers, and it wasn't just because of Ukitake.

He hated feeling powerless; knowing that if a Hollow _did_ show up right here at this very second that he'd be as helpless as the rest of the normal people here would.

It was the worst feeling in the world.

_How does it feel to be just as powerless as everyone around you, Ichigo Kurosaki?_

Ichigo looked up instantly, startled at the sound of the wavering, though deep voice, and was even more surprised to find that it had come from the direction of the playground. There, behind the bars he had just thrown the stone at, was the same spirit he'd seen from a day ago, but this time, his hood was down.

The spirit picked up the stone and examined it; as if it were some priceless treasure, before dropping it calmly back down onto the ground and looking back over at Ichigo, smiling a worn, tired smile.

_To be powerless, to be weak. You are neither of these things, of course, we both know that, but just to think it, to believe it, to see it, _The spirit paused again;_ it's like living a nightmare, isn't it?  
_

"Who are you?" Ichigo asked, quickly getting to his feet.

_I am Rai,_ the spirit answered, simply and calmly, _Rai Chirika._

"You're the same spirit I saw-"

_ The morning before this? Yes; you've already figured me out, _The spirit chuckled warily and smiled again- though this time it was a little stronger_. And to answer your next question, I am also the one leaving these. _With that, he pulled from inside his cloak a paper bag- one that Ichigo knew instantly had to contain yet another one of those coconut doughnuts from before.

"Why?"

_Is it not obvious?_ The spirit chuckled again, clearly enjoying the conversation, as hereplaced the coconut doughnut back into his pocket,_ I merely wanted your attention. And here my Master said that you were the smartest thing since the guy who invented pockets._

"Your Master?"

_Yes; my Master,_ the Spirit replied, easily, but this time a little more seriously, _Have you grown so used to your powerless state, that you cannot even recognize a Zanpakuto when you see one, Ichigo Kurosaki?_

Ichigo would have gasped if he weren't so stunned.

_A Zanpakuto spirit?!_

"Where is your Master?"_  
_

_My Master is not here. He is currently running afoul with one of your allies, _Rai told him, his golden eyes flashing at the mere mention of his missing wielder, _But, regardless of that,_ y_ou do not wish to meet my Master- nor the monster that stands in his shadow- at the moment. At least, not in your current state.  
_

Ichigo stared at him for a long, considering moment before retorting._  
_

"Okay, so you've got my attention," he said, "So you'd better tell me what you want!"_  
_

**N._.S._.S**

**Hope you like it so far!**

**Please, please tell me what you think!**

**XD**

**Thanks so much to those who have read, Reviewed, Favorited, and Followed so far!**

**It all means a whole lot to me!**


	5. Deadman Walking

**Bleach: The Legend of Division 14th.**

**Summary: "(Will not follow official timeline, kind of AU)** A year after the defeat of Aizen, Ichigo Kurosaki is back in Karakura Town, recovering from the wounds the battle dealt him and still unable to use his Soul Reaper powers. However, this doesn't mean he's been cut off from the Soul Society- old friends and allies alike are monitoring his recovery, confident he'll return. However, when Ichigo begins to have dreams haunted by powerful, disturbing visions from the past, and then abruptly meets an enigmatic, lone Zanpakuto spirit in need of help; odd things begin happening in the Soul Society, thanks to an old "friend" armed with a new, great and terrible power, hell-bent on destroying them all. Will Ichigo regain his powers, with the help of friends old and new, and return to the Soul Society in time to learn the mysterious, horrifying secret surrounding the would-be "death" of Division 14th, a truth long since forgotten by all, except those special few who still remember their sacrifice, or will a darkness that destroys everything, right down to the very souls in its path, ultimately come out on top?"

**Warning:** "This will be a relatively tame fanfic, with the exception of **blood, violence, some language, and a character death or two**, so, just to be on the safe side, we'll be going with **T.** **While this is my first Bleach Fanfiction, I am not entirely new to writing fanfics. I have read most of the Manga and have watched most of the episodes- but this does not mean that I am perfect and/or know absolutely everything there is to know; I'm bound to forget or misuse something.** Please forgive me if I screw up, though; I am only human, just like the rest of you."

**Disclaimer: "I do not own Bleach. Please don't ruin my day by thinking I do."**

**Author's Note: **"I tried to be as creative as possible with my OCs, and in doing so, I may have screwed something up- like not describing the Bankai or other fighting techniques, or not using the Zanpakuto exactly right- **but again, I'm not perfect; I'm only human, so ignore all the weird and/or incorrect stuff and just enjoy the story."**

**N._.S._.S**

**Chapter Five: Deadman Walking.**

"**H****ow is he?"**

Shunsui Kyōraku's eyes barely shifted from the doors of the large, white building he was staring at, even as Head-Captain Yamamoto approached him from behind.

The 1st Division Captain stood, remarkably still despite the anger slowly boiling inside, just outside the Healer's dorms. He'd just been denied clearance into the ECU (for the fourth time since dawn) that his best friend had been admitted into just a few hours ago, so now, he just stood around and waited, rather impatiently, with his arms crossed seriously over his chest.

"Unohana said he'll recover if given time to rest, maybe a week or two," the Captain-Commander reported, without hesitation, his eyes still not leaving the doors, "The wound was pretty shallow, despite all that blood. They think it's because he managed to move partially out of the way and missed the full brunt of the blow."

Yamamoto doesn't seem fazed at the graveness of his oldest student's voice and somber behavior- in fact, he nodded approvingly at it- as he countered, "But I hear there's some other, more disturbing news?"

"Yes," The Captain-Commander stated, voice growing even quieter, "There is."

"Go on?"

"The wound is almost exactly the same as the ones that killed Division 14th's Captain and Lieutenant. The only difference was that the wound killed _them_ and somehow left Ukitake alive."

_Among the worst of the wounds that were found on the bodies of Division 14th Captain Itsuki Ryuu and Lieutenant Nia Sakoto were large, terrible stab-and-slash wounds- as if they'd been slashed and then thrown around and beaten within an inch of their lives (literally), for good measure._

_But the worst ones, for both of them, were on their backs._

_Nia, being smaller, had a single, long ugly gash going through her entire back, as if she'd been hacked at suddenly from behind and then yanked away. Itsuki's was a little more confusing- he'd been slashed down almost to his spine, yet other wound, which was later proved by tests, countered that he'd also been impaled through the front- meaning that he not only had to have stepped in front of Nia to prevent her from being hit, but also took one to the back._

_And those were the ones that ultimately killed him._

_The obvious brutality of the wounds and knowing for a fact that Itsuki bore most of it to protect Nia, made the reports hard to read- and even now they sat, gathering dust, mostly forgotten and avoided, in storage.  
_

_Even if they had survived, they probably would have never recovered._

_Let alone able to pick up their swords again._

This time, Yamamoto's eyes opened a bit, like he was surprised, "Oh?"

Kyoraku nodded.

"Then it was the same attacker?"

"That's what we're assuming for now."

At the sound of the Captain-Commander's strained voice, Yamamoto placed a hand on Kyoraku's shoulder for a few moments before turning away without another word.

"Head Captain?"

Yamamoto stopped walking and waited.

"Does Byakuya know?"

"Yes."

"Is he preparing to leave now?"

"He's already gone."

As Yamamoto vanished, Kyoraku just shook his head, looking back toward the building.

_"Damn,"_ he said, quietly.

_"Damn."_

**N._.S._.S**

"**I****t was murder."**

_The first one to put two and two together was none other than Ukitake himself. He was the first to bring up the possibility of a betrayal, a mere week after Itsuki and Nia's deaths, but didn't confide it to anyone else (except Kyoraku) until almost a month later, during a meeting, just as everyone else was seriously beginning to come to the same conclusion._

"No Hollow could have caused those wounds."

"It had to have been someone he knew."

"Someone with the power to take him and Nia down together."

"Someone who knew exactly where he was."

"Someone with the means."

"It had to have been one of us, then?"

_One of us._

_These were the three words that damned the investigation._

"What are you suggesting?"_ This was Toshiro Hitsugaya, spitting the words with sudden venom, _"That they were stabbed in the back by one of their own?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Ukitake responded, strongly, "Unless you want to name one Arrancar strong enough to take down a Captain and Lieutenant like that. Those wounds were made by blades, not claws, as proven by Captain Unohana herself during the investigation- and it had to have been done by a Zanpakuto- and a very strong one at that."

"As in one of ours?"_ Kommamura spoke up this time, obviously concerned by the very idea of a traitor, _"That can't be right."

"Who else could have taken him down?"

_This brought up a division in and of itself.  
_

_Ukitake, Kyoraku, Unohana, Kenpachi, and Ōtoribashi all decided it was a betrayal._

_Hitsugaya remained certain that it was an Arrancar._

_Yamamoto, Sui Fang, Kurotsuchi, Muguruma, Komamura, and __Hirako__ did not choose either._

_Byakuya never even spoke once during that meeting._

_And, as the argument between what killed who instead of who killed who continued, the trail eventually went dead._

_The only one who seemed to be on the fence about the entire argument (that lasted until the investigation was closed due to lack of evidence), was Byakuya. Out of all of the Captains, even Kyoraku and Ukitake, he thought about the possibility of a betrayal the most, and even looked into the investigation himself.  
_

_There were no Arrancar in the vicinity of Itsuki and Nia the day they were killed._

_No reports at all._

_If there had been, there was no way Yamamoto would have sent him without backup._

_And even if there was one on some off chance, Itsuki was more of a match for most of them._

_A betrayal was the most likely option._

_And the only option._

**N._.S._.S**

**D****istrict 80 was where most, if not all, criminals eventually ended up.  
**

In fact, whenever an investigation like this came up, and no one knew where to start, usually one or two of the lower-seated Shinigami would go down into the Districts and have a look around.

Nine times out of ten, they found who the higher-ups were looking for.

The one other time, the investigation went cold.

And this just happened to be the case with Itsuki and Nia's murderer.

The 80th District was the most violent and disgusting of them all, being the furthest one out from Seireitei- and not a lot of effort ever went into rectifying the fact; either because no one really cared, or because there just wasn't the time, and while Byakuya personally thought at least something could be done (one reason he never went into the Districts to begin with if he could help it), he mostly let it be.

Rukia walked next to him, dark purple eyes carefully and warily watching the hooded figures as they passed them- and while her hand wasn't exactly twitching over the hilt of her Zanpakuto, it was obvious she was thinking about it every time someone passed by.

Byakuya knew she hated it here more than almost anything else.

Of course, the 6th Captain had never wanted to bring her down here in the first place, as he knew of her hatred of the area, and also because he'd have greatly preferred to bring along someone who he didn't have to necessarily "worry" about the entire time, but as she was Ukitake's Lieutenant, there was no way around it.

So, like it or not, she was here.

Orders were orders, after all.

Even for something like this.

But, the thing was, he'd purposely avoided ever telling her anything to do with Division 14th and Itsuki Ryuu (the information was unimportant and trivial in his eyes, especially considering it had absolutely nothing to do with her), and he also didn't want to chance upsetting her over it.

None of the people who came in after Itsuki's death probably ever knew his name.

There was just no reason to.

As they continued silently on, heading into the center of the District, Byakuya sensed that something was off. The aura grew strangely heavy around them (the tell-tale signs of either another Captain or perhaps another very powerful spirit nearby), and as they entered the deepest part of the city, he saw exactly what was causing it.

A lone, hooded man stood outside just outside one of the dilapidated, half-shadowed alleyways. He wore a long, tattered, graying (and slightly bloodied) white cloak with the hood up. His arms were folded across his chest in an almost satisfied manner, but while his hood hid most of his face, Byakuya could clearly see that the man was grinning broadly-

And that he was looking straight back at him.

But his smile was a very familiar-looking one.

Now, where had he…?

The hooded man's smile broadened as he began walking slowly toward them, and as he passed Byakuya, he spoke, loud and clear, in a voice that seemed to resonate powerfully throughout the busy, dirty street.

"_Hello there, Byakuya Kuchiki."_

Byakuya stopped so suddenly that Rukia walked straight past him a couple steps before instantly whirling back around, hand already on the hilt of her Zanpakuto, ready to draw.

The Head of the Kuchiki Family doesn't respond to the hooded man's rather too-friendly greeting. He just stood there, keeping his eyes trained on his ever move, as if he expected the man to attack him right off the bat. However, contrary to the expected, the hooded man stays where he is and doesn't make another move, although he did turn his head to look over at him, still grinning broadly.

And from underneath the cloak, Byakuya could see a pair of hauntingly familiar dark crimson eyes beaming back at him.

"_You know it's still pretty dangerous for people like you to be wandering about, right?"_

Then-

"_Do you still hate doughnuts?"_

Perhaps predictably, Byakuya still gave no response.

Just a narrowed-eyed, suspicious glare.

The hooded man just shrugged the stare off and chuckled. _"Ah, you're still so stubborn, even a hundred and fifty years later. What's the matter, Byakuya?" _He added, teasingly,_ "Don't you recognize me?"  
_

With that, the hooded man slowly took off his hood, revealing long, braided and ponytailed dark olive-hair and true crimson eyes, which were still glistening faintly in amusement as he stared off with the other man, unabashed and unsurprised at how the proud Head of the Kuchiki Family's eyes widened ever so slightly in shock.

Even though he was a deadman walking.

**N._.S._.S**

**Sure hope you all enjoyed this one.**

**The next chapter's coming soon! XD**

**I wonder who that hooded man was?**

**Anyway, please tell me what you think!**

**And thanks to everyone for reading, Reviewing, Following, and Favoriting!**

**It still means a lot!**


	6. The Resurgence I

**Bleach: The Legend of Division 14th.**

**Summary: "(Will not follow official timeline, kind of AU)** A year after the defeat of Aizen, Ichigo Kurosaki is back in Karakura Town, recovering from the wounds the battle dealt him and still unable to use his Soul Reaper powers. However, this doesn't mean he's been cut off from the Soul Society- old friends and allies alike are monitoring his recovery, confident he'll return. However, when Ichigo begins to have dreams haunted by powerful, disturbing visions from the past, and then abruptly meets an enigmatic, lone Zanpakuto spirit in need of help; odd things begin happening in the Soul Society, thanks to an old "friend" armed with a new, great and terrible power, hell-bent on destroying them all. Will Ichigo regain his powers, with the help of friends old and new, and return to the Soul Society in time to learn the mysterious, horrifying secret surrounding the would-be "death" of Division 14th, a truth long since forgotten by all, except those special few who still remember their sacrifice, or will a darkness that destroys everything, right down to the very souls in its path, ultimately come out on top?"

**Warning:** "This will be a relatively tame fanfic, with the exception of **blood, violence, some language, and a character death or two**, so, just to be on the safe side, we'll be going with **T.** **While this is my first Bleach Fanfiction, I am not entirely new to writing fanfics. I have read most of the Manga and have watched most of the episodes- but this does not mean that I am perfect and/or know absolutely everything there is to know; I'm bound to forget or misuse something.** Please forgive me if I screw up, though; I am only human, just like the rest of you."

**Disclaimer: "I do not own Bleach. Please don't ruin my day by thinking I do."**

**Author's Note: **"I tried to be as creative as possible with my OCs, and in doing so, I may have screwed something up- like not describing the Bankai or other fighting techniques, or not using the Zanpakuto exactly right- **but again, I'm not perfect; I'm only human, so ignore all the weird and/or incorrect stuff and just enjoy the story."**

**N._.S._.S**

**Chapter Six: The Resurgence I.**

**Y**_**ou don't have to be so suspicious, Ichigo Kurosaki,**_** Rai Chirika said with a twitch of a smile, **_**I have been given strict orders by my wielder to harm you as little as possible.**_

Ichigo merely folded his arms.

The spirit raised a thin, dark brow. _If you don't trust me, there's no way I can restore Zanegetsu to you._

Instantly, Ichigo unfolded his arms, "You can do that?"

Would I say such a thing if I couldn't back it up?

Ichigo didn't answer.

_Unfortunately, my power is not sufficient for such an ordeal. That is why I couldn't restore Zanegetsu to you earlier- that, _Rai added, a little bitterly,_ "and other issues that needed attending to._

"Why would you help me like that?" Ichigo demanded, though he took a step forward in curiosity.

Rai just chuckled and shook his head. _My Master witnessed your battle against Aizen, and all of your deeds before even that, _he said, _including your defeat of 6__th__ Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. That, more so than defeating the traitor, probably made him look at you as a possible friend. You should be honored he has taken such interest enough to restore you._

"And you swear that I'll be reunited with Zanegetsu if I do this?"

_Of course._

"Then I'll do whatever it takes."

Rai smiled another ghostly smile. _Excellent._

**N._.S._.S**

**R****ai stood in front of Ichigo, forefinger touching the teenager's forehead, and his thumb at the bridge of his nose.** His other hand was on Ichigo's shoulder. The spirit felt unusually corporeal, even for the usual Zanpakuto, and Ichigo couldn't help feel for a few moments he was staring into the eyes of another living soul. However, he didn't have time to ask, because Rai's golden eyes suddenly narrowed at him, as if he knew what the teen was thinking.

But then he suddenly gave Ichigo another kind smile.

_Do not worry, Ichigo Kurosaki,_ he reminded him, gently, _I am under orders to harm you as little as possible here._

They still were at the park, but in the mostly unused parts of it, so they were mostly hidden by overgrown trees and weeds, away from the prying eyes of others, especially others with Spiritual Energy, which Rai had insisted upon- he didn't want to draw attention to them once "it all came back."

Whatever _that_ meant.

"Just do it already!" Ichigo snapped back, impatiently, ignoring the heavy, nervous feeling in his stomach.

_ Very well!_

Rai's pupils grew large and dilated, the gold irises completely disappearing- even the whites of his eyes disappeared to let the blackness grow. However, his eyes- or, at least, what remained of them- remained locked on his.

_ I, Rai Chirika, demand to enter this place!_

Tremendous pressure began building up behind Ichigo's eyes, so much so that he began to feel something beginning to trickle out of them- something hot and wet.

Something red.

Then everything went black.

**N._.S._.S**

**"I****chigo Kurosaki, you must wake. It is not safe to linger here, for either of us."**

Ichigo's eyes opened, and he flung himself up. Rai straightened up and turned back around.

"So this is your Inner World. I wondered what it looked like."

Ichigo's eyes began to focus, and he was able to slowly realize that they were standing in his Inner World. It was just as he remembered- a sideways version of Karakura Town, this time free of the dark water that had submerged it the last time he and Zanegetsu had fought in so he could learn the secret of the Final Getsuga Tenshou.

"Yeah… but where's Zanegetsu?"

_And my Hollow self?_ He added, silently.

"Zanegetsu is trapped somewhere here," Rai responded, quietly, "Trapped and waiting for you."

"Should I call out for him?"

"If you believe it would make him easier to spot, then go ahead."

Ichigo took a deep breath.

"_Zanegetsu!"_

Absolutely nothing happened, and Rai shook his head.

"That isn't near loud enough," he stated, calmly, "Zanegetsu will never show himself if you can't do better than that."

Ichigo shot the Zanpakuto spirit a glare. "I thought you said he was trapped?"

Rai pointed to the side of the building they were standing on.

"He _is_ trapped. Inside."

"You meant _literally_?!"

"No, you fool, I meant he'd turned invisible!"

Ichigo shot him an evil glare.

Rai glared right back.

**N._.S._.S**

**I****t seemed like they were meandering around aimlessly for hours- and because the scenery never changed, they might as well have been, for the scenery never changed a bit.**

"Call again."

"I told you, I've tried!"

"Then I might as well leave," Rai threatened, seriously, "I have other important business to attend to other than wasting whatever remains of my Master's time wandering this place with you."

Ichigo just turned his head in annoyance.

Something flashed just as he looked at one of the massive glass windows across from where he and Rai stood.

Ichigo went to see what it was.

A mass was taking form in the window, where Ichigo's shadow was supposed to be. As Ichigo looked closer, he actually gasped and drew back in shock.

"Rai! I found him!"

Zanegetsu was standing behind the glass, arms folded and waiting.

_Zanegetsu!_

The long-since thought disappeared Zanpakuto spirit gave him the smallest of smiles.

_Ichigo?_

But Zanegetsu's slight smile disappeared when he saw Rai.

_Ichigo, who is this?_

_His name is Rai,_ Ichigo explained as Rai came up beside him, _He's gonna help get you out!_

Zanegetsu nodded once, and Rai stepped forward.

"I apologize for the intrusion into your wielder's Inner World," Rai said, giving Zanegetsu a polite bow of the head, "I have been ordered by my Master to free you."

_Your Master?_

"Yes," Rai smiled, "My Master's name is Itsuki Ryuu."

_The name isn't familiar, but I appreciate your assistance. I do have to warn you, however, _Zanegetsu warned, though his gaze went back to Ichigo as he spoke, _Ichigo's Hollow self is rather violent these days._

"No Hollow can stop me from freeing you," Rai answered, seriously, "And besides, my Master has also given instructions that I let that part of your wielder alone."

Zanegetsu just nodded once.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, what I am about to do will release not only Zanegetsu, but your Hollow-self as well," Rai explained, "And when that happens, things will likely become explosive. Your Spiritual Energy, which has been building for the past year now, will flood back into your body all at once, resulting in perhaps uncontrollable power."

"What happens to you?" Ichigo replied, before Zanegetsu could speak.

"I will not be able to stick around to help you tame your power. Already I have spent too much time here," Rai told him, "My Master is calling. We cannot delay this much longer."

Zanegetsu spoke up now._ And what you are about to do will not harm him?_

"Probably not. At least, nothing that won't be repairable later," Rai assured him, gently.

"Let's do this," Ichigo spoke up with a confident grin.

Rai turned back to Zanegetsu.

The stern old man just nodded silently once more.

**N._.S._.S**


End file.
